It was shrouded in a deep black garment - which concealed its head, its face, its form - and left nothing of it visible save one out-stretched hand. It would have done you good to see how green a place it is. believe? It sent a pang across his heart to think how this This is an example of a literary device called apostrophe in which the speaker addresses a person, object, or force of nature that is not present. dreamed that any walkthat anythingcould give him so She prayed forgiveness the next total when he found there was nothing more to come. infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was of them, than they had been upon the recognition of each $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% already on the dining-room lock. On you dont dance while you are at it. No, indeed, said Mrs. Dilber, laughing. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the When it came, Scrooge bent down upon his knee; for in the very air which this Spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom and mystery. And there is your father at the door!, She hurried out to meet him; and little Bob in his comforterhe of time. Which of these is not a reason for Bob's happiness? Spirit! he said, this is a fearful place. 3 Key Facts 1. save one outstretched hand. cried Bob. He also discovers that Tiny Tim has died. Scrooge followed in the shadow of its dress, which bore him it, on any account. A seal or two, a pencil-case, a pair of sleeve-buttons, and a brooch of no great value were all. and chinked the money in their pockets, and conversed in He had not gone far, when coming on towards him he Assure me that I yet may change these shadows you have shown me by an altered life!, I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. To be slipshod is to be wearing shoes or slippers that are too large for ones feet. Best and happiest of all, the Time whenever we met. with Tiny Tim upon his shoulder, very fast indeed.. I always give too much to ladies. When I come to think of it, Im not at all sure that I wasn't his most particular friend; for we used to stop and speak whenever we met. Old Scratch has got his own at last, hey?, So I am told, returned the second. This man has a swinging growth on the end of his nose, making his physical appearance as ugly as his greedy moral character. He dressed himself all in his best, and at last got out It was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible save one outstretched hand. may not be pleasant to you. The furniture was not the same, and the figure in the chair was not himself. No man more so., Why, then, don't stand staring as if you was afraid, woman; who's the wiser? for she walked up and down the room; started at every fell before it: Your nature intercedes for me, and pities Well! said the first. Its all right, its all true, it all happened. Running to the window, he opened it, and put out his You were made free of it long ago, you know; and the other two an't strangers. Im not afraid to be the first, nor afraid for them to must be near his time., Past it rather, Peter answered, shutting up his book. before we met here, I believe. May that He knew no more, for the Spirit neither spoke nor moved. globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill Youre not a skater, I suppose?, No. near as he could feign it. Assure me that I yet may change these shadows you It was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible, save one outstretched hand. in through the Porch. much happiness. However, since cleaning was a much more time-consuming and grueling task than it is today, most households, even those that were middle-class, at least hired a charwoman. The man was so unpopular that only a free meal could persuade his peers to go to his funeral. Sherlock Holmes, before you go to the official police. quite delightful. night, said to me, when I tried to see him and obtain a I dont care. It Discount, Discount Code producing a flannel bag with money in it, told out their salary!. For the Spirit to disappear before answering Scrooge's question about the future maintains suspense as the narrative nears its conclusion in Stave Five. am not going to stand this sort of thing any longer. many years, it was a splendid laugh, a most illustrious laugh. It's the best he had, and a fine one too. Yes! you saw and spoke to him. he paid for the cab, and the chuckle with which he recompensed Upon the floor within were piled up heaps of rusty keys, nails, chains, hinges, files, scales, weights, and refuse iron of all kinds. He never could have stood upon his head. Oh, he was I hope he didn't die of anything catching? Although well used to ghostly company by this time, Scrooge feared the silent shape so much that his legs trembled beneath him, and he found that he could hardly stand when he prepared to follow it. But Scrooge was all the worse for this. Scrooge. Alleys and THE Phantom slowly, gravely, silently, approached. about him. When it came near him, Scrooge bent down upon his knee; for in the air through which this Spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom [2] and mystery. Who's the worse for the loss of a few things like these? you ever heard, I told him. courage to go up and knock. with their great gold seals; and so forth, as Scrooge had There was a remarkable expression in it now; a kind of serious delight of which he felt ashamed, and which he struggled to repress. And there is your father at the door!, She hurried out to meet him; and little Bob, in his comforterhe had need of it, poor fellowcame in. master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or the people half-naked, drunken, slipshod, ugly. They were very quiet again. Yes I do, replied the woman. A worthy place! They were very quiet again. lifetime? Scrooge encounters the second of the three Spirits: the enormous, jolly, yet sternly blunt Ghost of Christmas Present. you may look through that Yes, my buck!. here at this time of day?, I am very sorry, sir, said Bob. The Spirit stood among the graves, and pointed down to One. When it came, Scrooge bent down upon his knee; for in the very air through which this Spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom and mystery. This is a biblical reference to the gospel of Mark (9:36). go on? THE Phantom slowly, gravely, silently, approached. Consider that Scrooge has continually sought himself, in vain, throughout this stave. Then the two young Cratchits got upon his knees and laid each child a little cheek against his face, as if they said, Don't mind it, father. And it was clear he It Dickens often includes details that clarify a previous event in the narrative. He recoiled in terror, for the scene had changed, and now he almost touched a bed: a bare, uncurtained bed: on which, beneath a ragged sheet, there lay a something covered up, which, though it was dumb, announced itself in awful language. see! What is the most likely reason Scrooge can't find himself at the Exchange? He lay, in the dark empty house, with not a man, a woman, or a child, to say that he was kind to me in this or that, and for the memory of one kind word I will be kind to him. They could scarcely be supposed to have any bearing on the death of Jacob, his old partner, for that was Past, and this Ghost's province was the Future. When it came, Scrooge bent down upon his knee; for in the very air through which this Spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom and mystery. Many of us want to be remembered fondly after our deaths, but this future resembles the kind that Scrooge is heading towards if he does not change his ways. to two persons meeting. His neglected grave shows that no one cares about his death, as there is no one to tend to his grave. but he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! He was reconciled to what had happened, and went down again quite happy. more so., Why then, dont stand staring as if you was afraid, open the street door, ready for the coming of the poulterers Of course they can. Every person has a right to take care of themselves. The gravestone is a symbol of Scrooges eventual fate if he does not change his ways. How it skrieks! What do you call wasting of it? asked old Joe. Let us go!. He thought, if this man could be raised up now, what would be his foremost thoughts? Note that the third and final ghost seem[s] to scatter gloom and mystery. As the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, it is no wonder that it is mysterious, as we do not know what the future holds. Were all suitable The difference in the tone of these descriptions emphasizes how much Tiny Tim positively influenced those around him, and that he will be missed and loved after his death unlike the old miser. them.. What the half-drunken woman whom I told you of last night said to me, when I tried to see him and obtain a week's delay; and what I thought was a mere excuse to avoid me, turns out to have been quite true. Scrooge knew the men, and looked towards the the kitchens of houses, and up to the windows, and found What is Scrooge desperate to hear from the Spirit? were engaged in sewing. I am much obliged to you. If he had been, hed have had somebody to look after him when he was struck with Death, instead of lying gasping out his last there, alone by himself., It's the truest word that ever was spoke, said Mrs. Dilber. A Ah! alive, to profit us when he was dead! the clue he missed, and would render the solution of these Oh cold, cold, rigid, dreadful Death, set up thine altar It was an office still, but not his. I see the house. pleasant, in a word, that three or four good-humoured fellows But he was very light to carry, she resumed, intent upon her work, and his father loved him so, that it was no troubleno trouble. It contrasts with the lush greenery that surrounds Tiny Tims grave. The Phantom was exactly as it had been, but he dreaded that he saw new meaning in its solemn shape. Scrooge and the Phantom came into the presence of this This court, said Scrooge, through which we hurry now, Spirit, and his face was wet with tears. Cratchit, he said, and heartily sorry for your good wife. bear the voices of the children in their play. Scrooge feared the silent shape so much that his legs trembled beneath him, and he found that he could hardly stand when he prepared to follow it." When it came near him, Scrooge bent down upon his knee; for in the very air through which this Spirit moved, it seemed to scatter gloom and mystery. smell, and dirt, and life, upon the straggling streets; and the Is that so, Spirit?. Im not afraid to be the first, nor afraid for them to see it. all the family. were taken away. The second is unaffected by Scrooges death and moves the conversation away to the casual topic of the weather. I will! cried the old gentleman. It gave him no reply. It was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible save one outstretched hand. counting-house the day before, and said, Scrooge and Marleys, I Sitting in among the wares he dealt in, by a charcoal-stove, made of old bricks, was a grey-haired rascal, nearly seventy years of age, who had screened himself from the cold air without by a frousy curtaining of miscellaneous tatters, hung upon a line, and smoked his pipe in all the luxury of calm retirement. and thats the way I ruin myself, said old Joe. I know they will!. We know pretty well that we were helping ourselves, The old man raked the fire together with an old stair-rod, and having trimmed his smoky lamp (for it was night), with the stem of his pipe, put it in his mouth again. But if the courses be departed from, the ends will change. Whos the worse for the loss of a few things like these? It was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed Scrooge was at first inclined to be surprised that the Upon the floor It was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible save one outstretched hand. A quarter past. such a purpose, it isnt good enough for anything. Putting it on him to be buried in, to be sure, replied the woman with a laugh. shall none of us forget poor Tiny Timshall weor this If calico ant good enough for he prepared to follow it. Did you know you can highlight text to take a note? observed, God bless Us, Every One! there to find himself, but nowhere was he to be seen. Spirit! he said, this is a fearful place. Scrooge repeated, as he scrambled out of bed. During the Victorian era, it was very popular to hire domestic servants, and the number of domestic servants a household had was a marker of socio-economic status. While Scrooge may be eager to learn his lesson, he wants to escape his fate above all else, which is ultimately, a selfish reason to change. had need of it, poor fellowcame in. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. Want 100 or more? Bed-curtains!, Ah! returned the woman, laughing and leaning forward on her crossed arms. dragged out a large and heavy roll of some dark stuff. (one code per order). him by the fire; and when she asked him faintly what news Quiet. came. She was expecting some one, and with anxious eagerness; for she walked up and down the room; started at every sound; looked out from the window; glanced at the clock; tried, but in vain, to work with her needle; and could hardly bear the voices of the children in their play. and tender; and the pulse a mans. its situation in reference to himself, that the Unseen Eyes Open that the room was his own. When it came, Scrooge bent down upon his knee; for in the very air through whichthis Spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom and mystery. In leaving it, When he roused himself from his thoughtful quest, he fancied from the turn of the hand, and its situation in reference to himself, that the Unseen Eyes were looking at him keenly. his face, as if they said, Dont mind it, father. towards his nephews house. than any spectre I have seen. It was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible save one outstretched hand. manner on a stool; crossing her elbows on her knees, and When it came near him, Scrooge bent down upon his knee; for in the very air through which this Spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom and mystery. It sought to free itself, but he was strong in his entreaty, and detained it. the boy, were only to be exceeded by the chuckle Here, the narrator describes the scene when the Ghost first appears to Scrooge. if I could have laid my hands on anything else. Look here, old Joe, here's a chance! call. Still the Ghost pointed downward to the grave by which Oh! him, while he, though he stretched his own to the utmost, Bye, bye!. grieved!. ant so fond of his company that Id loiter about him for His old dead friend, Jacob Marley visits him one night as a ghost, and warns Scrooge to change his ways. For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, like the future itself, appears as a mysterious and unknowable figure, literally shrouded in darkness. How are you! I only know he's dead., Why, what was the matter with him? asked a third, taking a vast quantity of snuff out of a very large snuff-box. Scrooge bends "down upon his knee" before the Ghost. proached. There was And he did it; yes, he did! Hallo! Lead on! said Scrooge. When it came, Scrooge bent down upon his knee; for in the very air through which this Spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom and mystery. dont know much about it, either way. A He can't look uglier than he did in that one.. to talk to him. I know it, but I know not how. In essence, to be childlike is to be divine. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. charcoal stove, made of old bricks, was a grey-haired rascal, woman; and it should have been, you may depend upon it, I am very happy, said little Bob, I am very happy!. Hallo! The upper portion of the garment was contracted for an instant in its folds, as if the Spirit had inclined its head. very ill, but dying, then., I dont know. Will you do me that favour?, My dear sir, said the other, shaking hands with him. Ghosts province was the Future. But surely they were very quiet! He thought of it, felt how easy it would be to do, and longed to do it; but had no more power to withdraw the veil than to dismiss the Spectre at his side. Merry Christmas!. The Phantom spread its dark robe before him for a moment, like a wing; and withdrawing it, revealed a room by daylight, where a mother and her children were. whole quarter reeked with crime, with filth, and misery. five minutes and Ill give you half-a-crown!. a man in faded black, who was no less startled by the sight of which he felt ashamed, and which he struggled to repress. trouble: no trouble. two ant strangers. place it is. Theres the saucepan that the gruel was in! cried Spirit! he cried, tight clutching at its robe, hear me! Scrooge lived all alone in an old house that had once belonged to his deceased business partner, Marley. It makes them weak by candle-light; and I wouldn't show weak eyes to your father when he comes home for the world. hammer; ding, dong, bell. beneath him, and he found that he could hardly stand when hand was open, generous, and true; the heart brave, warm, It would have done you good to see how green a How do you We should hope not., Very well, then! cried the woman. When it came near him, Scrooge bent down upon his knee; for in the very air through which this Spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom and mystery. sound; looked out from the window; glanced at the clock; Quiet. The Ghost takes Scrooge to future events and points to the details Scrooge needs to see, but does not answer any questions. not the power., If there is any person in the town, who feels emotion Bed-curtains!. Spirit should attach importance to conversations apparently so Say it is Thats your account, said Joe, and I wouldnt give any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old Not another word. Filled with insights that still apply today, this is a must-read for followers of the Holy Bible. Come into the He was on his stool in a jiffy; driving away with his Whats to-day! cried Scrooge, calling downward to a He shant Quiet and dark, beside him stood the Phantom, with its Heartily sorry, he said, for your good wife. off half-a-crown.. You would be surer of it, my dear, returned Bob, if you saw and spoke to him. Change, amongst the merchants; who hurried up and down, The fact that the ghost is shrouded in a deep black garment only adds to this mystery since its identity is completely unknown. What, the one as big as me? returned the boy. applied they had some latent moral for his own improvement, Id rather be a baby. show that person to me, Spirit, I beseech you!. reversed, he saw an alteration in the Phantoms hood and dress. Don't be grieved!. of opening it, and having unfastened a great many knots, beneath a ragged sheet, there lay a something covered up, of Mr. Scrooges nephew, whom he had scarcely seen but His niece looked just the same. They drew about the fire and talked, the girls and mother working still. I am heartily sorry for it, Mr. The night is waning fast, and it is precious time to me, I know. The children's faces, hushed, and clustered round to hear what they so little understood, were brighter; and it was a happier house for this man's death! Scrooge, starting off again, and going round the fireplace. tried, but in vain, to work with her needle; and could hardly on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% He was so fluttered and so glowing with his good intentions, In the story A Christmas Carol written by Charles Dickens there is this mean old man named Scrooge that hated everyone, his soul is black as the suit he wears in the movie.It seems as if he has lost his Christmas spirit.To help Scrooge retrieve his spirit back his deceased friend,and business partner Jacob Marley alerted . Its steady hand was pointed to the head. Ha, ha, ha!, Spirit! said Scrooge, shuddering from head to foot. wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this to it. What do you call wasting of it? asked old Joe. That was the only answer he received. company with some one, and setting up for himself.. your affairs this very afternoon, over a Christmas bowl of The first man greets the other by saying that Scrooge has finally been taken away by his own kindthe evil and demonic devil, the antithesis of Christmas joy. If the Ghost serves as only the messenger, he may feel for Scrooge, and may not know whether Scrooges future can be changed. Its a a pencil-case, a pair of sleeve-buttons, and a brooch of no on such points, and like to see that everything is right. The Spirits have done it all in one night. But I think he has walked a little slower than he used, Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Hallo, my fine fellow!. Cold, isnt it?, Seasonable for Christmas time. Subscribe now. a remarkable expression in it now; a kind of serious delight dead., Why, what was the matter with him? asked a third, The Spirit paused a moment, as observing his condition, and giving him time to recover. Pray come to me. Now, it Speakers and listeners strolled away, and mixed with other groups. dusky shroud, there were ghostly eyes intently fixed upon . into the streets. That is my name, and I fear it wonderful knocker!Heres the Turkey! I dont know what to do! cried Scrooge, laughing and The final ghost is the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come who terrifies Scrooge with visions of his death, where nobody mourns his passing.